Welsh Parents & Carers Could Spend Up To £1,773 Per Child This Summer

• New data analysing household spend and childcare costs has revealed parents could be spending around £1,642 per child across the six-week break.
• Childcare alone costs an average of £992 across six weeks for holiday clubs and childminders.
• The South East are expected to spend the most, with households spending and childcare amounting to £1,861 per child for six weeks.
  

With the summer break underway, many parents and carers will be considering how the cost of childcare and daily activities will impact their budgets in ways that feel very different from term time.

New research from Shepherds Friendly has looked at the impact of holiday spending on working parents and carers with primary school-aged children during the summer break, analysing household spending and childcare costs.

The summer holidays could be costing parents and carers of primary school-aged children £1,642 per child 

Analysing spending on essentials such as food and drink, as well as recreational spending, pocket money and childcare for primary school-aged children, the data reveals parents and carers could be spending around £274 each week per child. 

Item	Cost per child for one week during school holidays	Cost per child for 6 weeks
Food and drink	£29.52	£177.13
Transport	£36.38	£218.30
Recreation and culture	£29.21	£175.24
Education	£2.30	£13.81
Clothing and footwear	£7.81	£46.86
Pocket money	£3.13	£18.75
Average weekly cost of holiday clubs / childminders*	£165.26	£991.56
TOTAL	£273.61	£1,641.67

*A 20% tax free discount has been applied to all childcare costs in the study, with working parents/carers being entitled to this benefit for each child aged up to 11 years. The benefit is capped at £2,000 a year for children up to 11, rising to £4,000 for disabled children aged up to 16.

During school term time, after-school clubs and after-school childminders until 6pm will cost parents around £59 per week on average, whereas during the holidays the cost for holiday clubs and childminders is around £165 per week.

Parents and carers in the South East are expected to spend the most, at around £1,861 per child over two weeks

Rank	Region	Weekly household spend per child (inc pocket money)	Avg. holiday time childcare per week	Total cost per child for one week	Cost per child for 6 weeks
1	South East	£126.32	£183.80	£310.12	£1,860.73
2	Wales	£112.14	£183.38	£295.52	£1,773.12
3	East of England	£114.36	£172.92	£287.28	£1,723.68
4	London	£89.22	£186.69	£275.91	£1,655.46
5	Yorkshire & the Humber	£102.30	£173.06	£275.36	£1,652.16
6	England	£109.07	£164.43	£273.51	£1,641.04
7	Scotland	£109.97	£162.37	£272.34	£1,634.02
8	South West	£117.34	£144.43	£261.77	£1,570.60
9	North East	£96.48	£164.72	£261.20	£1,567.20
10	East Midlands	£101.59	£159.53	£261.12	£1,566.70
11	West Midlands	£103.19	£152.22	£255.41	£1,532.43
12	North West	£105.87	£144.77	£250.64	£1,503.85

Families in the South East face the highest overall costs during the summer break, with the total cost per child for two weeks being £1,861. This is driven largely by higher weekly childcare costs, which average £184 per week in the region, or £1,103 across the six-week break.

At the other end of the scale, the North West has the lowest total across the summer break, but is still a significant sum at £1,504 per child, with average weekly holiday childcare costs of £145, or £869 across the summer.

Surprisingly, London comes in fourth despite having the highest childcare costs at £187 per week on average. Lower recreational costs contribute to this (£49.90 per child per week), potentially due to the higher amount of free activities to take advantage of in the capital.

Derence Lee, Chief Finance Officer, at Shepherds Friendly says: 

“School holidays should be a time for families to relax and recharge, but for many parents the reality is an unavoidable rise in costs, especially when it comes to childcare. With many households already under pressure from the rising cost of living, these additional expenses can add extra strain. 

“For many families, making the most of available support can help ease some of this pressure. Schemes such as Tax-Free Childcare can provide valuable savings on holiday clubs and childminders, while local councils, community groups and charities often run free or low-cost activities during school breaks. Planning ahead can also go a long way, such as setting a clear holiday budget and spreading any additional costs in advance where possible, rather than absorbing them all at once.

“There are also small, practical ways to keep spending under control without missing out. Parents can make  use of free local attractions like parks, museums, libraries, and should keep an eye out for free activities offered by community groups. Similarly, organising activity swaps with other parents, preparing meals and snacks at home, and limiting impulse spending on days out can all help reduce the overall cost. Even modest changes can add up over a two week period.”

Name: Simon O’Brien

Parent: Father of a 9-and 5-year-old

Location: Burgess Hill, near Brighton

For this working father, school holidays bring both planning challenges and financial pressure. With grandparents helping some days, he still needs to cover around three extra days per week to keep the children entertained. One all-day activity club costs roughly £60, while other day trips can range from free local outings to more expensive adventures.

“A week of school holidays usually works out at around £250-£300, but if money is tight we just have to be a bit more creative with plans.”

“We’ll do something cheap one day, like the forest or park, then if we have a quiet day we might do a bigger outing the next day. It all balances out over the week.”

However, even minor extras add up: “The odd treat, like a toy, book, or art supplies, usually costs around £20 per week.”

“We also might eat out once or twice a week, costing around £50 each time. Even with careful budgeting, these costs are unavoidable.”

“Transport costs are modest but notable, with petrol costing around £50 per week and train trips costing around £20-£60 depending on the destination, for example if we’re traveling into Brighton or London.”

On wider pressures, he says:

“School holidays do put massive financial pressure on families. We’re lucky to have grandparents, but school is 30 hours of childcare a week that needs replacing during holidays, and professional childcare is very expensive.”

“There could always be more free or subsidised activities. Communication about local events isn’t always great, so you sometimes miss cheaper opportunities.”